Seat operated flush valve



May V5, 1931. w. H. cADwl-:LL ET AL 1,803,958

SEAT OPERATED FLUSH VALVE Filed Sept. 13, 1926 ATTORNEY CTL Patented May 5, 1931 FFE?.

ATE? i.;

WILLIAM CADWELL AND JOI-IN OTT, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSGNORS TG TEE BETON ZCADWEVLL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW' BRITAIN", CON- NECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT SEAT OPER-ATED FLUSH VALVE Applicationl filed September 13, 1926. Serial No. 135,025.

rlhis invention relates to flush valves, and more particularly to a flush valve adapter to be operated by the successive lowering. and raising of he seat ot a closet bowl.

A llurther object is to provide a flush valve ot the above nature which ill be simpre in construction, practically foolproof, ineirpentomanuiactnre, easy to install and manipulate, ornamental in appearance, efiicient and durable in use, and very economical ot' water consumption.

lilith these and other objects in view there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawings one form in which the invention may be convenientlyembodied in practice.

Fig. 1 represents a side sectional view of the flush valve, the operating rod for connection with the closet seat being shown partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a side view of a closet bowl and seat upon which the invention has been installed. f

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral indicates the body member of the ilush valve, said body member having a side inlet port 11 and a bottom outlet port 12. The top of the outlet port 12 terminates in an annular rim 13 which forms a seat for a main valve 14. rl`he main valve 14 has a flat beveled disc section 14a provided with an upwardly extending rod 15, said rod 15 being preferably cylindrical in cross-section and serving to guide the vertical movements of a check valve member to be hereinafter more fully described.

The disc section 1li-o is also provided with a depending threaded shaft 1G, surroundingl which is a circular lexible annular diaphragm 17, preferably of rubber. The central part of the diaphragm 17 is made thiclier than the outer edge thereof, and is adapted to seat tightiy upon the rim 13. rJlhe diaphragm is secured to the disc section 140; by a tapered nut 13 screwed upon the lower end of the threaded shaft 16.

The outer thinner edge of the diaphragm 17 is seated in an annular recess formed on the inside ot a flange 19 ot the body member 10, and said diaphragm is held rigidly upon said flange by the outer horizontal rim 20 of a cover member 21, said lianges 19 and 20 and said diaphragm 17 being held to get-her tightly by a plurality ot screws 22.

The space in the flush valve below the diaphragm 17 will hereinafter be termed the main chamber, while the space between the diaphragm and the cover member 21 will be designated as the control chamber.

rThe cover member 21 is provided with a central upwardly extending tubular section 23, which is reduced in diameter at its top portion 24. A pair ofoppositely disposed apertures 24a and 24?; are provided in the sides of said reduced section 24, and a third aperture 240 is provided in the top thereof. At the shoulder between the reduced section 24 and the tubular section 23, provision is made of an interior beveled annular valve seat 25 upon which a releasing valve 26 is adapted to fit tightly.

The releasing valve 26 comprises a vertical rod 26a having a horizontal flange 27 near its lower end, the bottom of said rod being threaded at 28 to receiveV a nut 29 which serves to hold in place a conical flexible valve washer 30. l

Therspace within the tubular section 23 below the releasing valve 26 will hereinafter be termed the releasing chamber.

The flush valve is operated by a bell-crank lever 31 pivoted on a pin 32 mounted in an upper cap member 33, and provided with a pair of arms 34 and 35,.said armsbeing lo-v cated at right angles to each other. The lower arm y35 is adapted to contact at all times with an inverted cup-shaped member 36 which has a tubular downwardly extending skirt section 37. The skirt sectionv 37 is adapted to slide loosely within the 'upper cylindrical portion 38 of a conical outer shell member 39, said shell member being enlarged at its base 40. The base l0 of the shell member 39 is provided with interior threads so that it may be screwed upon the outside of the ange 19, previously mentioned.

The lower part of the flush valve is covered by a second outer shell member 41 which has a threaded upper flange 42 screwed upon the In order to press the cup-shaped member 36 upwardly into contact with the bell-crank operating lever at all times, provision is made of a spiral spring 44a locatedwithin said cup-shaped member 36 and surrounding the reduced top portion 24.

ln order to provide means for producing a single flush of a definite period irrespective of the length of time the cup-shaped member 36 is held down, provision is made of a check valve member 46, said member 46 comprising a hollow cylindrical Lipper main body portion 47 provided with parallel ribs 48, said ribs being spaced uniformly on the outside of said body portion and being adapted to seat within the cylindrical bore of the lower part of the tubular section 23. The check valve member 46 is provided with a bottom horizontal flange 49 adapted normally to rest upon the top of the flat disc section 14a of the main valve 14.

l/Vhen the flush valve has been operated, the main valve 14 will rise and force the flange 49 of the check valve member 46 into contact with a depending annular rib 49a, thereby shutting off communication between the control chamber and the releasing chamber.

The'closet seat 50 is normalrv supported in an linclined position, as shown in Fig. 2, b 7 a bracketmember 51, said bracket member having a pair of rearwardly extending ears 52 rigidly connected by a rod rThe rod 53 is pivotally supported upon the closet bowl by a pair of bracket arms 54, said bracket arms being secured, as by bolts, to said bowl 45.

An angular member 55 is rigidly mounted upon said rod 53 intermediate its ends and has a rear tubular extension 56 a'djustably ecured as by a screw 57m a substantially vertical rod`58. Depending from the angular member 55 is a bifurcated section 58av adapted to receive a stop member having a head 56o engaging the rear of the se c 50. said stop member having threaded engagement with said section 58a, whereby the angular position of said seat may be readily adjusted.

The rod 5 8 is provided at its upper end with a slot 59, and the sides of said slot form a support for al pin 60, which serves as a pivot for a horizontal flush-operating rod 61. The rod 61 is adapted to pass, through a collar member 62 screwed upon a. threaded laterally extending portion 63 of the upper cap member 33. The rod 61 is provided with a reduced inner `spherical end 64 adapted to continuously engage with the upwardly eX- tending arm 34 of theV flush-operating lever 31. The'rod 61 is provided near its inner end with a flange 65 which is adapted to be pressed at all times by a strong spiral spring 66 against the base 67 of a socket 68 in the laterally extending portion 63.

In order to provide means for equalizing the pressure between the control chamber and the releasing chamber, the cover member 21 is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed valve members 69, said members having upwardly extending stems 7 O surrounded by small spiral springs 71, and said stems are mounted to slide in collars 71a. VThe tops of the stems 71 are provided with heads 72 for engagement with the cup-shaped member 36 at all times. The springs 71 press upwardly upon the heads 72 so that when the cup-shaped member 36 is raised, the valves 69 will be lifted from their seats.

In operation, when the closet seat 50 is moved downwardly under the weight of the user, the operating rod 61 will be forced to the left as viewed in Fig. 1. rThis will permit the cup-shaped member 36 to move upwardly under the pressure of the spring 44a located within it, thereby closing the release valve 26, and at the same time the valves 69 will be forced upwardly into open position by the small springs 71. Communication will then be opened between 4the releasing and control chambers by means of vertical bleed holes 73 leading into the control chamber, and horizontal bleed holes 74 leading into the releasing chamber. The pressure between said chambers will soon be equalized by the flow of water from the control chamber through the bleed holes and the check valve member 46 will then drop by gravity upon the main valve 14.

ljVhen the user rises from the closet seat, the latter will be moved upwardly under the pressure of the strong spring 66, forcing the rod 61 to the right, as viewed in Fig. 1,'and the lever 31 will then force the cup-shaped member 36 downwardly, opening the release valve 26 and permitting a small quantity of water to flow'out through said valve. This will cause an immediate reduction of the pressure in the control chamber, and the overbalancing pressure of the water in the main chamber will force the main valve 14 upwardly, opening communication between the inner port 11 and the outer port 12, and thereby flushing the closet bowl 45. lVhe-n the main valve 14 rises, the check valve member 46 will be carried up with it until the flange 49 engages the annular rib 49a upon the bottom of the tubular section 23, and'further escape of water through the release valve will thereafter be prevented.

ln order to provide means for slowly restoring the pressure in the control chamber after the flush has been started and thereby to gradually close the mainva-lve and shut off the flush, a by-pass is pro-vided in the side. of the casing opposite the intake port 11. This by-pass comprises a rotary plug 75 having a Lacasse longitudinal passage 7G communicating with the main chamber. rEhe passage 76 opens into a transverse passage 77 which goes entirely through the plug and is connected at its upper end with an inclined passage 78 in the flange 19 of the body member. The passage T8 leads to an oppositely inlined passage 79 in an enlarged boss 80 of the cover member 2l, and said inclined passare 79 communicates with the interior of the control chamber.

`ln order to provide means for changing the length of the period of flow of the iush valve, the outer face of the plug 75 is provided with a slot 8l for manipulation by a screw driver. The plug 7'? may be locked in any desired adjusted angular position by means of a loci; bushing 82 which may be screwed into a surrounding threadec recess in the body member 10 b-y means of a spanner wrench, or other suitable tool, which is adapted to engage in a pair of side holes 83 in said bushing 82. A packing washer 82a, preferably of asbestos, is provided at the base of the bushing S2 to prevent leakage.

One advantage-of this invention is that the bleed holes which connect the releasing and control chambers avoid all possibility of the check valve member sticking upon its seat, and thereby preventing the operation of the Vflush when the closet bowl is used.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention Y may be embodied, it is to be understood that Y between said chambers this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. ln short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of trie following claims.

Having` thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent is:

l. In a flush valve, a main chamber havian inlet and an outlet, a control chaml a by-pass for slowly equalizing the pressure after the flushhas been operated, a releasing chamber having communication with said control chamber, a normally open release valve located in said releasing chamber and adapted to release liuid therefrom, means for normally shutting` oill said communication, means for closing said release valve and opening said communication, whereby the flush valve will operate when the release valve is next ope-ned.

2. In a flush valve having an inlet and an outlet, a main chamber, a control chamber, a by-pass for slowly equalizing the pressure between said chambers, a leXible main valve separating said chambers and adapted when open to permit a flushing stream to flow from the inlet to the outlet, a releasing chamber said control chamber after the release valve has been closed, and thereby permitting said check valve to open.

3. ln a flush valve, a main chamber having an inlet and an outlet, a control chamber, a by-pass for slowly equalizing the pressure between said chambers after the flush has been operated, a releasing chamber having communication with said control chamber, a normally open release valve located in said releasing chamber and adapted to release fluid therefrom, means for normally shutting oft said communication, means for closing said release valve and slowly opening said communication, whereby the flush valve will operate when the release valve is next opened.

fl. ln a flush valve, a main chamber having an inlet and an outlet, a control chamber separated from said main chamber, a byslowly equalizing the pressure between said chambers, a releasing chamber having communication with said control chambers, a normally open release valve located in said releasing chamber and adapted to release fluid therefrom, means for closing said release valve and slowly opening said communication. y

5. ln a flush valve, a main chamber having an inlet andan outlet, a control chamber separated from said main chamber, a .by-pass for slowly equalizing the pressure between said chambers, a releasing chamber having a normally closed communication with said control chamber, a normally open release valve located in said releasing chamber and adapted to release luid therefrom, means for closing said release valve and opening said communication.

6. In a ilush valve, a main chamber having an inlet and an outlet, a control chamber separated from said main chamber, a by-pass for slowly equalizing the pressure between said chambers, a releasing chamber having a normally closed communication with said control chamber and adapted to release fluid therefrom, a normally open release valve located in said releasing chamber, means for closing said release valve, and valve-operated means for slowly opening said communication.

7. In a Hush valve, a main chamber having inlet and an outlet, a control chamber separated from said main chamber, a by-pass for slowly equalizing the pressure between said chambers, a releasing chamber having communication with said control chamber, a check valve normally closing said com-L munication, a bleed hole for slowly equalizthe pressure between said control and releasing chambers, a valve for normally closing said bleed hole, means for opening said bleed hole valve andeausing said check Valve to open.

ln a flush valve, a main chamber' having an inlet and an outlet, a control chamber separated from said main chamber, a by-pass for slowly7 equalizing Lthe pressure between said chambers, a releasing Chamber having Communication with said control chamber, a cheek valve normally closing said communication, a bleed hole for slowly equalizing the pressure between said Control and releasing chambers, a Valve Jfor normally Closing said bleed hole, a tubular member engaging said bleed w holeyalye and normally keeping it Closed,

means for causing said tubular member to rise` and spring means on said bleed hole Valve for. opening it when said tubular member rises-thereby slowly equalizing the pressure between the control and releasing chambers, and causing said cheek valveto open 9. In a flush Valve, a main chamber having an inlet and an outlet. a control chamber separa-ted from said main chamber, a bypass for slowly equalizing the pressure betweenl said chambers, a releasingv Chamber having communication with said Control Chamber, a cheek Valve normally closing said Communication, a bleed hole for slowly equalizing the pressure between said control and releasing chambers, a valve for normally closing saidY bleed hole, a spring-operated tubular member engaging said bleed hole valve 'and normally keeping it closed, means for causing said tubular member to rise, spring means on said bleed hole valve for opening it when said tubular member rises, thereby slowly equalizing the pressure between the t control and releasing Chambers, and causing said check valve to open.

l0. In a Hush valve, a main chamber having any inlet and an outlet, a Control chamber separated from said main Chamber, a by- 4;, pass for slowly equalizing the pressure between said chambers, a releasing Chamber having communication with said control chamber, a check valve normally Closing said Communication, a bleedl hole for slowly equals izing the pressure between said control and eso rheel; valve to open.

11. ln a lush Valve, a main Chamber having an inlet and an outlet, a control chamn ber separated from said main Chamber, a bypass for slowly equalizing the pressure bei, tween said chambers, a releasing chamber having communication with said control chamber, a check Valve normally closing said Communication, a bleed hole for slowly equalizing the pressure between said Control and releasing chambers, a Valve for normally closing said bleed hole, means engaging said bleed hole Valve and normally keeping it Closed, means for causing said Valve-closing means to rise, and spring means on said bleed hole Valve for opening it when said valveelosing means rises, thereby slowly equalizing y the pressure between the Control and releasing chambers, and Causing said check valve to open.

l2. In a flush valve h aying a main 'chamber connected to an inlet and an outlet, a control Chamber separated from said main chamber by flexible diaphragm, a releasing chamber connected to said Control chamber, a normally open release valve located in said release chamber and adapted to release tiuid therefrom, means for normally closing the Connection between said eontrol and releasing chambers, a bleed hole for slowly opening` said connection, a valve for normally Closing said bleed hole, and means for opening said valve to render said bleed hole operative.

ln testimony whereof, we have aliixed our signatures to this specification.

VILLIAM H. CADWELL. JOHN OTT.

CERTIFICATE 0F eoRRECTIoN.

Patent No. 1,803,958. Granted May 5, 1931, to

wiLLiAM H. CALDWELL EL AL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 94, claim 4, for the werd "chambers" read chamber; same page, lines 117 and 118, claim 6, strike out "a normally open release valve located in said releasing chamber," and insert the same after the word "chamber" in line 116; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may eenferm to the reeei'd el the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 18th day of August, A. D. 1931.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

